This Was Suppose To Start Sooner

So I declared that effective March 1st I was going to really concentrate on getting my shit together.  I restarted tracking my expenses in order to effectively budget my money.  I also need to recommit to being healthier too.  Notice how one of these is 'I've restarted' and the other is 'I need'...  Opps!

The last time I blogged I spoke of the fact that so much of my life was in limbo.  Well, within 24 hours or so 2 of the areas of my life was no longer in the limbo it was at the time I blogged.  The move at work is done for the most part and should be finished as of now.  I've sort of settled my office...just need to get some work done and move a few cabinets, but I have to wait to get to that this coming week, because we all know I'm not moving those cabinets by myself!  Ha!

In other news, I did not get approved high enough for a mortgage to get a house I would be happy with.  I sort of expected this thanks to all of those student loans I'm hauling around on my credit reports.  I could get a house, but not something that is going to make me happy so I've decided to wait.  There was some discussion between my aunt and I about me renting a house, because this place is just too small for the munchkin and I and her moving in here still.  As of yesterday that decision was tabled.  Instead my auntie and I are going to rent a storage unit together so I feel less stuffed into this place and since she is going from a 4 bedroom home to a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment, she will need it too.  And we are going to paint my house to make it feel fresh for me and make it easier to stay here in the coming months as I continue to work on getting my debt further under control (see the tracking of expenses & budgeting discussed earlier!), so I can buy a house in the future...one that I'll be happy with!

We are only early into March and I feel like this is going to be a really good month for me.  So even though I was suppose to be blogging about getting my shit together effective March 1 on March 1 it is better late than never!!

Congrats To My Aunt

She finally got a new job. My aunt has hated her job since the first week she took it a couple weeks ago. I can totally relate, because several years ago I was in that spot...I HATED MY JOB and knew it on day #5. So I'm very happy for her and I hope it brings her happiness.

Way to go Auntie...the munchkin and I wish you the best of luck! Love ya!

There Is No Other Option Left

Yes, in one week my life and everything I was holding high fell and shattered on the cement floor! I take complete and full responsibility for that fall and the following shattering. I had a strong run for a few weeks and even had a very strong weekend last week, but this week everything fell apart. I made it to the gym on Monday and then apparently everything went downhill starting Tuesday. This was the same day where I had to have extensive repairs made in my home, which were totally not expected. This is also the same day where for over 4 hours I had a bunch of people in my house and I also knew I had to take my munchkin to karate since my aunt's work schedule was screwed up that day. It was also the same day that I spent dreaming of Red Lobster and was rudely denied due to an electrical problem.

Once I had experienced that one bad day it just kept repeating itself every other day this week or so it seemed. Wednesday was the day of the washer problems. I had hoped this would be fixed by the end of the afternoon, but yet again...a denial. I discovered that I would have to wait another week to get that taken care of too. Not what I had planned at all.

The biggest problems I seemed to be facing this week was I was definitely feeling exhausted and was still dreaming about that Red Lobster dinner that I was denied Tuesday. Yesterday I just couldn't seem to get anything moving over here. I felt dead to the world. I so could have laid down and took a really long nap, but I didn't. Instead I made plans to finally get my Red Lobster dinner with the munchkin and my aunt after his karate class so I could stop dreaming about my Sunset Passion Colada and my coconut shrimp! Of course we were in the midst of a little snow storm (1-2"s). I was exhausted before we made it to dinner, so after my two drinks I was totally ready for the bed.

The munchkin and I were in the bed by 9pm last night...I was stuffed and very sleepy with the perfect amount of frozen alcohol mixed in. This all led me to get up very early this morning (hello 5:15am!) and realize that even though I apparently took this past week off I have to get my life back in order or else in just over 3 weeks I will be in some serious trouble and I won't be able to bail myself out of that mess. This is a requirement for me this week. No more screwing around. It is just me, my list and BarBri...we will be one this week and I will get back on that wagon of having my life together. No if's, and's, or but's about it! No more excuses!!!

My Friday To-Do List:

1. Go & see my guy

2. Write out my shopping list

3. Go shopping

4. Pick up the house

5. Study, study, study!!!!!

6. Do laundry

7. Workout

8. Get my allergy shot

9. Write my guy

10. Pick up our pictures

11. Get re-motivated

12. Get re-focused for next week

13. Plan out our week

14. Get re-committed to my healthy living

15. Get re-organized

16. Get my shit back together

It All Started With A Little Blue Puddle

This all started Saturday night after my wonderful bubble bath and right before I went to bed when I noticed a little puddle of blue under the back of my toilet. I discovered that the tank on my toilet was leaking. It was 1:30am Saturday night. Nothing I could do about it and no one to call to help. And it wasn't serious enough Sunday to call my plumber. Um, hello? Paying a plumber on a Sunday? No thank you!

Monday morning I called my other aunt and then my uncle because it wasn't like I was able to afford even a phone call to anyone, because I couldn't pay them when they came out. While talking to them I also mentioned that my washer was having serious issues too. It was making a horrible noise going into the spin cycle and wasn't spinning all the water out and I would have to toss in an extra spin before putting them in the dryer. My wonderful uncle told me to make the necessary calls and they would take care of it. I was relieved...

In between getting this all together Monday morning I put some sausage and sauerkraut over. I was so hungry for it I couldn't wait all day for dinner to roll around. I hit the gym that afternoon and waited and waited and waited for my aunt and munchkin to get here so we could eat! I weighed out my sausage, measured my sauerkraut and sat down to finally eat. Even though I had cooked it all day, it wasn't done enough. Dinner failure. I cooked it again the rest of the night and resorted back to my chips & dips again for dinner. When it was finally done I tried it again. No go! There was no taste. How did I mess up a dish that I've made a hundred plus times? Needless to say I was not happy.

Off to bed I went, disappointed in my dinner, but I also knew I had to be up early for repair guys #1 who were scheduled to be here at 8:00am Tuesday morning. Fast forward to the following morning...repair guys quickly fix my toilet (the tank was lose...who knew that could happen...), so I figure while they are here and since I kept the cost so low I mentioned that it appeared my kitchen faucet had started to leak where the nozzle attached. After a quick look they discover it is more than a little leak...it was also leaking under the sink way in the back too. Of course that wasn't fixable, it had to be replaced. Out of the blue Mr. Fix-It asked me when was the last time I had checked my hot water tank...um, if it had ever been "checked" it would have been before my guy and I split up in '04. So he offers to check it and of course, thank God he did, because it was leaking. God, help me...

So a quote of $1,200 later to replace both my kitchen faucet and hot water tank I figured my day was pretty well shot! Of course this was normally bad all in of itself, but when you also figure that not only did I have to clear out from under my skin so they could replace my faucet I also had to clear out around my back door (a/k/a my laundry and pantry room) and my closet. You must remember...I live in a trailer so every room is small and I have everything packed in tight!! You may wonder why I would have to clear out around my back door, so the guys could drain my hot water tank. You then may ask what my bedroom closet has to do with this mess...well, that's because my hot water tank is impaneled inside my bedroom closet. Convenient, huh?

So four hours and several dollars later, I had the pleasure of putting my kitchen, laundry room, and bedroom back together. I was so excited I could barely contain myself... I did use the opportunity to clean out all of the bakeware I had stuffed under the sink. Seriously, do I need 9 glass baking dishes, 5 of which are the size?! Or 12 cookie sheets?! I didn't think so either. By the time I finished putting everything back together, which of course included sweeping and mopping part of my kitchen floor and my little pantry plus vacuuming my bedroom closet and the surrounding area, it was time to get the munchkin because I had to take him to karate.

Throughout the day I knew I had to take the munchkin to karate and after we would go to dinner with my aunt and every time something went wrong or became much messier than anticipated I just kept telling myself that I could handle it, because tonight I was going to partake in a tall Sunset Passion Colada or two while enjoying Parrot Isle Jumbo Coconut Shrimp at Red Lobster, which I've been craving for a few weeks. Knowing this helped me get through everything yesterday. After karate we headed to Red Lobster just to see that the restaurant was all dark with 3 utility vans outside and a note on the door explaining they were closed due to electrical problems.

I couldn't win yesterday... We ended up going to the China Buffet in town, which was yummy, but since I was so set on my Red Lobster meal nothing was satisfying to me. Of course this caused me to eat more than I should have. And today? Well, now I just sit here waiting for the Sear's Repair Guy to get here to look at that racket machine...opps, I meant washing machine! He should be here between 1pm & 5pm. Of course that means closer to 5pm than 1pm, especially since it is already 2pm...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Just getting started: 17, 18

Needs attention: 10, 11

This Would Be Why I'm Eating Chips & Dips Tonight...

So last night as I was going to bed I realized that my toilet has sprung a leak. This after I listened to my washer make a weird noise all day. Just great!!

Of course this would happen! I haven't worked or gotten a paycheck in over a month. Due to my wonderful work screwing me on not being able to take out my 401K and the IRS making it impossible to file my taxes until mid-February, even if I had my W-2's which I of course I don't~thanks again work!~, I'm totally living...er mooching off my aunt!! I've taken her last 2 checks from her, she's paid my two credit card bills and likely will pay my cellphone/internet bill, and all I have left in my checking account is $150.

Now I get to call two different repair people tomorrow and try to mooch off my other aunt and uncle. FML!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16

Just getting started: 17, 18

Needs attention: 10, 11

It Isn't Failing To Plan That Gets Me...It's Just My Planning Fails

How many times must I say it...I fail at planning. Maybe I don't do it right. I'm not sure. But it seems when I plan something it falls through. It just doesn't happen the way it should. Maybe I don't cover all of my bases before I plan. I'm not exactly sure, but planning by me is usually an epic failure.

Don't believe me? Well, here is another example of one of my planning failures... A week or so ago I saw a recipe coming across on Twitter from Nathan Fillon (the actor in Castle) and it sounded pretty good. It was a Mexican Bean Dip recipe and I'm always up for that. So I made my shopping list after checking the fridge and cupboards and away I went Friday night after my weekly visit with my honey. So this morning I decide in addition to studying I also want to cook a few new dishes. Well...I actually decided that yesterday and I started on that with cooking chicken in my crockpot with salsa to use in a different recipe...but I digress... I pulled out all of my ingredients this afternoon to make my bean dip and my black olives are gone.

Yup...my munchkin and my aunt ate them Friday night with their dinner. Ugh... Okay, so I decided to make it without. No big deal and heck, it likely saved on calories too. So I move on from this, make the bean dip, reach for the bag of tortilla chips to eat some. Ummm...hello whoever left just crumbs in the bottom of the bag, but only rolled it down once giving an appearance of an almost full bag of chips...nice job! Luckily I had an unopened package of taco shells to use.

Not all was lost. I was able to eat my newly made bean dip and it was yummy sans black olives or chips. But come on...I don't need help with the failing part of my planning. Ugh....

Consider it done: 1, 2, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 18

Just getting started: 3, 5, 16, 17, 19, 20

Needs attention: 6, 9, 10

A Child's Emotional Well-Being Is All That Matters

I was sort of hoping that this would be the day I got some of my mojo back. I've been in an unmotivated slump here of late. Things were going along and then I returned a voice mail from yesterday...from my munchkin's therapist. That's when things started to go down hill...

My munchkin has been saying things lately that are a cause for concern. I think some of it is normal, but that doesn't decrease the concern that we are all sharing together. Apparently some kids at school are telling my munchkin that he is weird, which has started to affect his self-esteem. In the past couple of weeks my munchkin has apologized for being a disgrace. Yikes!! He is not a disgrace and could never be a disgrace. I don't even know where he got such a word let alone that he knew what disgrace meant... Then a few times when he has gotten upset he has asked if I wanted him to murder himself. Sweet Jesus!! God, no!!!! His wonderful therapist, whom he loves and adores (& so do I!), gave us some pointers to change a couple of things. We will be trying these things to help him...

Of course after the munchkin was sleeping my aunt asked me what the therapist said today so I start telling her and what do I do while telling her? You guessed it...started crying. Blah! I hate crying. I do it more often now that I'm older, but I still hate it!! Nothing makes you feel like a failure or a flop then when your kid is dealing with some heavy duty emotional things...

So much for getting that mojo back today....

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 40

Just getting started: 5, 10, 11, 12, 15, 20, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39

Needs attention: 6, 7, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, 38

The Little Details About Santa

Dear Parents,

Can we all please get on the same page? If you are going to tell your child a specific detail about who is picking up the tab for your kid's Christmas gifts, could you please provide the rest of us a note with said details? Maybe your kid won't question what others tell him or her, but my kid does. And unlike how your kid may set up the questions, my kid won't be forthcoming with the information he has already received before he interrogates me. Sorry...maybe it is because he is a born litigator or maybe it is because he is being raised by a future attorney, I don't know.

So I implore you, parents of my munchkin's class-mates, if you are going to tell your kid that you have to pay for the presents that Santa brings him or her please...I beg you...drop me a line! This will help others avoid the following conversation:

munchkin: Mommy, do you have to pay for the presents Santa is going to bring me?

j'lynn: Huh?

munchkin: Do you have to give Santa the money to buy my presents?

j'lynn: No...but I do give him money to help buy toys for kids whose families can't give him money. [yes...I was in a panic and totally reaching...]

munchkin: Okay. Who pays for mine then?

j'lynn: [obviously I had not thought ahead for his follow-up questions] The taxpayers....the taxes I pay goes to Santa but other moms and dads don't get that benefit, so I help Santa pay for those kids.

munchkin: Hmmmm....[thinking...pondering...]

Thank goodness he was distracted and didn't realize that my statements made no logical sense and really were totally backwards. Thank God he doesn't understand taxes yet either. So to the parents who told their child that they have to pay Santa for the gifts he or she gets I would have appreciated a little heads-up.

Thanks for making me sound like an idiot...

Sincerely,

j'lynn

PS: Yes, afterwards my aunt advised me of your tale to your kid, but she didn't give me a heads-up either. So you all suck...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 40

Just getting started: 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 20, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39

Needs attention: 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 38

My Mom Always Said My Mouth Would Get Me Into Trouble

Oh my, oh my...what a day!! I went to bed way too late last night and got up way too late this morning. Opps. I was up and out the door in less than an hour and off to pick up the munchkin. We went to the eye doctor, which ended up taking forever. Then I had to rush home, pick up one of his outfits for his pictures, and then rush off to get my allergy shot and then get his pictures done. This is where things started to go downhill...

We arrive in time for our 12:30pm appointment to learn the idiot who I spoke to earlier in the week scheduled us for 12/9...a Thursday. So they had to fit us in. By now I was beyond irritated. Most years we just wing it and wait forever and we are usually much later in the season. This year I attempt to do things by the book and it gets all screwed up. With extra time to kill that we really didn't have in our schedule my munchkin decides to con me into picking up a few things for him. I get him changed into his outfit and then we go back and wait. The couple who was ordering their little girl's pictures were odd. I couldn't put my finger on it. I kept getting weird looks from them and weird interactions with the dad/husband. I thought maybe I knew him, but couldn't recall him or something. Then it happened.

Apparently I'm the worst parental figure in the world and shouldn't be allowed around other people's children, because when the mom told the toddler that they had to get moving because dad was breaking out in hives because he was missing the Michigan/Ohio State game I say, "Just say 'Dad it is no big deal Michigan blows anyways'." Well you would have thought I told her to tell her Dad to F Off! Was it inappropriate? Probably. Was it detrimental? Maybe. Was it cause for the Dad to come out of his chair to threaten me? I don't think so. First of all the kid was too little to even know what I said and secondly if you don't make a big deal out of these things kids don't continue to repeat such things. It is when they get reactions do they carry it to the next level. So I apologized and I felt like crap afterwards. I suspect I've been black-marked at the studio not to be allowed around other people's children... That's okay, because I don't really like other people's kids.

By now it was well past the time that my munchkin needed another dose of his medicine so he was acting as boorishly as what his mom acts like while he was getting his pictures done. We finally get out of there and are off to find some CLR for the munchkin's bathroom and then to check out. From there we go to the dry cleaners, the grocery store and the salon to pick up a couple of things and to drop off my non-perishable foods for their food drive. Hey, at least I'm trying to help the unfortunate after I've damaged them with my mouth.

We had planned to meet up with my aunt and my mom for lunch, which I had not originally wanted to do due to my fear of not keeping my streak alive tomorrow, but after the morning and early afternoon I had experienced I could have used a drink and some high calorie foods. This is when the 2nd shoe dropped. Before we left the salon the munchkin announces he can't find his Nintendo DS. Excuse me?!? We rip the car apart and can't find it. I'm beyond livid at this point. Of course I was still mad at myself for my earlier transgression. I call the studio and they have it. We head back there and pick it up.

Finally we make it to "lunch" around 4pm and I order a jumbo strawberry margarita. Of course my statement of "the stronger the better" to the waiter was taken very seriously! Daym!! I could only drink 3/4ths of it and I was definitely a little more than buzzed. I scarfed down our favorite appetizer, a half of a huge shrimp-fajita-quesadilla, and then consumed Mexican fried ice cream. I probably should have ran a couple more errands after lunch, but I was ready to just come home and crash. I spent the rest of the night freezing, trying to consume as much of my water intake as I could in hopes of not totally blowing my weigh-in for tomorrow and trying to sober up a bit.

Now it is time to bring this not so great day to an end and hope that tomorrow is better and that I don't damage anyone else's children...

Consider it done: 1, 10, 12, 15, 18, 22

Just getting started: 2, 3, 7, 16, 27, 32

Needs attention: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, 17, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

I want to wish everyone a Happy & Healthy Thanksgiving!!

There is so much for me to be thankful for today...

My Munchkin...He is the light of my life! I love him more than I ever thought I could love anyone in my life! I am so proud of him and am so happy to see the little man he is set to become! I am thankful he came in to my life over 8 years ago and am thankful that I get to be his mommy!

My Man...my soulmate, the love of my life. I am so thankful that after knowing him for over 10 years that I am able to love him more today than I did yesterday. I am thankful that he is finally becoming the man I always knew he could. I am thankful that something so horribly tragic could bring him and I back into one another's lives and that each and every day he does something to help continue to improve his life and in turn our life together so one day we may be a family again. I am so proud of him for the changes he makes every day. I am thankful that he decided almost 3 years ago the changes he needed to make in his life in order to one day come home and be a real man, husband, father, and someone that others can respect as much as I have grown to respect in these last few years.

My aunt...I am thankful for all she does to allow me to do what I need to do to get through school, work, and to be me. I am eternally thankful that she is able to give me, my munchkin and my man so much of her time and her support. I am thankful to have such a wonderful aunt.

My family...without them I wouldn't be who I am today, so I am thankful for them even in the crazy times. I am thankful that I get to spend today with some of my family to remind me how fortunate I really am.

My LSBFF...I am thankful that over 4 years ago we met and eventually became fast friends and LSBFFs. She is my rock for school and life. She is always available for me and I am thankful for that. I am thankful that she won't BS me and when I'm being a total unreasonable bitch she will tell me how jacked up I really am.

My friends...I am thankful that I have them in my life...all of them. Even the annoying ones. ;) I am thankful that they make me laugh, think and are in my life today.

Prof. Arrogance...I am thankful I got past the first impression I had of him, because I thought he was a total asshole. I am thankful he has taught me so much and made me believe in myself more and more every day.

School...I am thankful that it is almost over! hehehehehehe

Work...I am thankful I have a job regardless of how annoying it is so much of the time. I am more than thankful that my bosses believe in me and allow me to do my "thang" so I can be successful beyond the 4 walls of my office!

My health...I am thankful for being as healthy as I am, because regardless of the blood checks, the need to lose weight and everything else I have going on with my healthy I am still very healthy and I am thankful for that.

My life...I am thankful for the life I lead every day regardless if it is a great day or a bad day...I still have my life and the ability to do what I want to do with it.

You...I am thankful for every single person who may read this. I may not know you, but I consider each and everyone of you a friend. I am thankful for all the people that this blog has brought into my life.

I hope each and every one of you are thankful for all that you have and all of the things in your life. I am not just thankful for the good in my life, but the bad too, because I learn from all of it...

Thank you & Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38

Just getting started: 5, 8, 9, 10, 17, 20, 25, 39, 40

Needs attention: 21, 23, 26

Just Another Hump Day Over Here

I really started this week on a good note...well I woke up in a pretty good mood Monday morning and from there it seems to have went down hill and continued that way. Monday morning my guy called me and was in some bad space. It was nothing directed at me, but I knew that there was stuff simmering around him and he was being pulled into the folds of it. The unfortunate thing is there is nothing I can do other than talk with him to help and what's worst is that he can't just pick up and move out of the way of the tidal wave that is rising around him. I didn't dwell on the situation when I was busy with other stuff, but during my down time I often wondered how things were going. And I really wondered when I missed his call at 3:10pm, because I was stuck in court for my Externship.

My Externship wasn't all that great this week. I didn't get to do anything other than follow other people around and observe. This is good, but not great. Then I thought I had my scheduled all jacked up for Tuesday and perfectly planned by 12:45pm Monday afternoon and by 3pm that same afternoon my Tuesday schedule was blown out of the water.

Tuesday I had hoped to observe a trial from 9am until 10:30am when I needed to duck out a little early to attend my financial aid exit interview at school for 11am. Then Monday afternoon I learned that the trial wouldn't get back under way until 10:30am. Just great! So after discussing it with my LSBFF I opted to bail on my Externship for Tuesday morning and went to my exit interview. From there I headed over to my ortho follow-up appointment. Of course I had that scheduled for 1:45pm and had scheduled my munchkin's flu shot appointment (located 35 minutes away) for 2:45pm. So I headed to my ortho early and actually was in and out 17 minutes before my scheduled appointment.

Before my doctor's appointment I was able to make my way to Biggby Coffee and pick up a yummy Double Dark (Sugar-Free, Fat-Free) Hot chocolate and after my appointment I even had enough time to swing over to Buddy's Pizza for my uber-yummy family-size Antipasto Salad with their delicious ranch dressing! Then off to get the munchkin from school with enough time to fill out the paperwork to drop off his "stomach pills" (a/k/a Pepto-Bismal chewable tablets). Then we went to his doctor's and upon his discovering he would be getting a shot everything became a mess. I remember lots of tears, yelling, screaming, some "I hate you Mommy...You lied to me." statements, a few slaps at my hands as if he could just swat me away like a fly. And all of this was pre-shot!

Some how I got suckered into getting him a prize for handling the situation so well. After the shot I even remarked to the doctor that "this" (carrying on) was the reason why we couldn't do this at Walgreen's! Everyone except the munchkin found this funny. After picking up his "prize" we headed home, but only for the munchkin to point out that at some point, on some road I had a rock take a chunk out of my new windshield. Damn!

After having to call my wonderful insurance agent and then the glass repair place, plus fixing dinner I was worn out. I think the emotional toll of finding out that the tidal wave did scoop up my guy in the mix even though he was okay as a result that day didn't help either. The munchkin told me to take a nap, because I was so sleepy. Or it was maybe because he wanted both the TV and the computer for himself! I laid down at 6:30pm with only a few interruptions from my munchkin and my ringing phone. At 8pm my munchkin joined me in my bed. We finally fell back asleep sometime after 10pm and before I knew it I was waking to Hump Day!

With all of these things going crazy, feeling exhausted, and feeling crabby as could be I have experienced some heavy handed emotional eating. I bitched at a lot of people. There was tons of eye rolling and a desire to scratch someone's eyeballs out. It all descended on me when I got in my car tonight to drive home and had an overwhelming desire to sit in my car, in the dark parking lot, in the big city and instead of driving home crying my eyes out. I didn't do this, but I really wanted to. So instead I called up the aunt and met her and the munchkin for a late dinner. More emotional eating...go figure!

I really haven't gotten much else accomplished this week so far and I keep thinking about my streak and whether I'm throwing it away by the hour. I'm hoping tomorrow I will be in some better mental space, out of the eating phase and I can get tons done in addition to working on keeping that streak alive...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28

Just getting started: 7, 9, 10, 29, 30

Needs attention: 8, 11, 12, 13, 14, 20, 22, 23, 24, 31, 32

Feeling

Miserable. Even though I was in the bed at midnight last night I was still exhausted this morning and still got up late. I busted my butt at work all day and got a few things off my to-do list there. I rushed out at 3:30pm for my 4:15pm doctor's appointment. Of course when I get to her office every seat in the waiting room was full.

I had this idea in my head that I'd be out of the doctor's office by 4:30pm or 4:45pm and I would go off to the gym and life would be good. Of course when I didn't get out of there until 5:45pm I opted to meet the munchkin & my aunt for dinner instead of going to the gym. An hour and a half later I was stuffed, buzzed and miserable. And I was definitely regretting my decision to eat and drink instead of work out.

I could say this is a live and learn experience, but seriously how many times do I have to live it before I learn.

The munchkin appears to be getting sick and now I'm not feeling too hot myself. I'm really hoping that it is just allergies and dealing with the crazy change in the weather. Hello it was like barely 70 yesterday, today it was almost 90 and tomorrow it is suppose to only be 74. No wonder people are getting sick. I really can't afford for either one of us to get sick.

As I get ready to go to bed I'm definitely feeling miserable, exhausted and a little icky.

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

Just getting started: 12, 13, 14, 33, 34

Needs attention: 11, 15, 16, 17

It Was A Chips & Salsa Kind Of Weekend!

This weekend I've been trying to get my "mojo" back. It hasn't been easy and it isn't happening quickly, but it is happening. Isn't there a saying "slow and steady wins the race"? Well, I'm hopeful that it will happen for me.

A few things happened this past week that I didn't blog about, so let me catch up now. Thursday night I did dinner with my two former co-workers. I had a blast. I just wish we did it more often!! But as usual life seems to always gets in the way. Of course we went to our favorite chips & salsa place! The chips & salsa must have been pretty yummy because I think we ate two baskets full! What I ordered for my meal was okay...I think it was a little too done though. But I wasn't there for the meal, I was there to catch up with my friends and to eat chips & salsa! That is all that matter. My friends looked great! They were funny as hell~~like always! I haven't laughed that much in a while! OMG...and Dani's hair has gotten so darn long! I think I forgot to tell her that!

Friday my boss returned to work, thank God! I ended up busting my ass again though. I think I'm going to have to keep up on that trend for a while. I've got some massive piles on my desk that accumulated in the last week or two. Oh well, at least it makes the days go by fast. And it isn't so hard, especially if I can get my personal life back in order! Then I went and saw my guy and had a wonderful visit. But I did not go grocery shopping. It was just too damn hot and I was just damn tired. Of course I didn't go to bed until 3am that night, but whatever!

Saturday I got up, got ready and drove to the dealer for my oil change. I pulled up to the big doors and honked for it to open. Nothing happened. Ugh. So I got out of my car, went up to the door and was met with a "We Are Closed Today For Our Annual [Fundraiser]!" Well crap. Guess I'll move that to Monday before my appointment with the Specialist. Okay...no problem. I had another problem to deal with...my crackberry was inoperable. The trackball wouldn't scroll down. Off to Verizon I went...One hour later I walked out with a new crackberry.

By now it was afternoon, so I picked up the munchkin and my aunt and off we went to do some school shopping. This has lost some umph now that he wears uniforms. While we were shopping at Old Navy I started to feel shaky. That morning I had a bowl of cereal and we were planning on grabbing a late lunch/early dinner. I didn't think anything about it. I thought I would be fine. I was actually a little shocked that it appeared my blood sugar was getting too low. Good thing we were pretty done there, so the munchkin and I went and got the car while my aunt checked out for us. When we left there we swung into McDonald's so I could get something to eat to settle my blood sugars. A cheeseburger in the car did the trick. Then off we went to Stride Rite for shoes! Afterwards we went out for Chips & Salsa.

After dinner we headed to Toys 'R Us and then onward to home. I dropped the munchkin & my aunt off at her house. Once I was home I realized that my new crackberry was missing a few things...like a browser for the internet. With only 15 minutes before Verizon closed I hopped in the car. Forty-five minutes later I left Verizon with a fully working crackberry. Back home I came.

Today...I have no idea how this happened. I was totally ready to face the music this morning when I woke up. I busted out the scale ready to see a double-digit gain. I got my butt up on the scale and didn't believe it when the number came up, so I got off, reset the scale and got on it again. Same number. Well...I'll take it! Who am I to laugh in the face of a weight loss?! Today's stats:

Starting weight (7/8/09): 363lbs

Current weight: 321lbs

This week's results: -2lbs

Total weight lost: -42lbs

Tonight I knew I needed to keep making progress so I decided I better take a shower...it was 6pm for goodness sake...and go grocery shopping. I did decide that I don't enjoy shopping on Sundays and I need to keep my regular Friday night schedule so this doesn't happen again! But to make up for having to go grocery shopping tonight I ordered take out from my local chips & salsa place. I didn't end up having chips & salsa, but I did end up getting the best appetizer there...white melted mexican cheese, onions, peppers & shrimp. Yummy!! I also picked up shrimp fajitas, but was too full to eat any, so those are in the fridge for tomorrow.

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 12, 15, 20

Just getting started: 5, 11, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26

Needs attention: 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 24

What A Strange Day...

I could not get my day going today. This could be due to lack of sleep last night. Of course I could have came home at any point and went straight to sleep; however, I had stuff to do: allergy shot, voting, & studying.

After work I stopped to the gas station on my way to get my allergy shot and as I was leaving a newly homeless child assisted me with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, him. I don't know if it was because I looked like a soft touch or it was because I had started blaring Eminem as I was waiting to pull out, but he obviously felt comfortable with me, because he hollered at me to see if I had a "smoke" he could have. He looked really young to me so of course I responded, "Um...how old are you?" He then began his life story with "I'm 16, but I just got kicked out of my house and I have no where to go. All I'm asking for is a smoke." So being the softy that I am I yelled, 'You better hustle' and proceeded to hand him the cigarette I already had lit. The kid did look incredibly sad and more than a bit dejected sitting on the embankment. And he could have tried to BS me and say he was 18, which I would never have bought! Hell, I remember smoking at 16 and I didn't give him a whole pack...just one damn newly-used cigarette. Hope he enjoyed it and hopefully he found somewhere to stay tonight...

Last week while getting my allergy shot I asked the Nurse Nice what was Nurse Ratchet's problem. She told me she is a bitch to everyone. Well, I'm curious now if Nurse Nice said something to Nurse Ratchet, because she was as sweet as pie to me today. Interesting... Heck she even cracked a joke as I was leaving tonight.

After the doctor's office I was on my way to vote in our primaries. Stopped at a red light I looked around, which is pretty normal for me. I look over to my left and 3 lanes away some guy in a pick-up truck is looking at me. In that instance I thought it was one of the guys who did the work on my house yesterday and that thought was solidified when he waved at me. So I waved back. Then he mouthed, "How you doin'?" And as I'm mouthing back, across three lanes, "Good. You?" I realize this isn't the guy who did work on my house yesterday. I don't even know this man! Opps!!

So I got my shot & I voted...as for studying, well I didn't get much of that done tonight. Just as I was getting ready to dig into it my munchkin & my aunt came home. So much for that... Oh well, hopefully I will get some more reading done on the treadmill tomorrow and maybe do a practice test Thursday night and take the test Friday. Can I still pass?! Let's hope & pray!!

The Things You Hear In The Silence

Well, we remain sans television in j'lynn's world and apparently that isn't going over with with the munchkin or the aunt as I was advised tonight that should I need them tomorrow before his bedtime they will be at her house! LOL I made 2 calls and left 2 messages for the person in charge of our park rules...Since it is almost midnight I assume she isn't calling me back today. Guess tomorrow she will be subject to my hourly calling, because this is f'g crazy!!

I have discovered some things in the silence tonight though...

~People like to walk mysteriously close to my house when traveling through the property next to us.

~I am not the only person totally loving the new Eminem CD as someone is also playing it in their car every time they drive by.

~I apparently have the hearing of a dog, because every so often I hear a pitch squeal.

~My neighbor's are assholes shooting off fireworks just minutes before midnight on a Tuesday night & they are liable to get cut if they don't knock that stupid shit off!!!!

~The fan in my master bedroom either has a ball bearing out or it is about to die.

~I still can't seem to get my butt to bed at a decent time or get up on time either...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4*, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Just getting started: 8, 9, 23, 24

Needs attention: 13

*~~No cleaning lady till Friday, but since I got the house picked up I've moved this to the accomplished list. :)

A Long Post To End The Holiday Weekend

This long holiday weekend has been filled with several ups, but a few downs as well. With the biggest down occurring today, I thought I would reflect a little on those this evening as I begin to get ready to face another week packed full of work and school...

Friday night was my usual evening of seeing my guy and then going grocery shopping. The visit was good except for the fact that it was the first time in a long time when leaving him that I could have cried had I let myself. I think it is the combination of my hormones and the waiting game we are still playing as we continue to wait for the results from his hearing. I went on to the grocery store and did the little bit of shopping I needed to do for the week and then came home. One thing seemed to lead to another and before I realized it, it was 4:00am! Off to bed I went!

Saturday morning I woke up and moved slower than a turtle all day, which really is the speed I have been set on all weekend! I got lots of personal stuff done throughout the day, watched one of the cutest movies I've seen in a long time that night, When in Rome! Typical "Rom-Com" but I love them so it was great. At one point about 7:00pm Saturday night I debated going to bed early that night. Well, that didn't happen and I didn't find myself crawling into the bed until 5:00am that night! Whoops! I figured I better set the alarm on my phone for 11am, just in case!

My guy called me at 9:00am Sunday morning to wish me a Happy 4th of July! :) I spoke to him for 15 minutes and rolled over and went back to sleep. When I woke up, hearing my alarm, I was shocked to learn that it was 12:30pm and not 11am! Yikes! I got up, got ready, got things done around the house for our 'Not Even A Small Gathering' that evening. After getting things done, I realized I only had 2 hours before the family arrived, so I opted to write my bitch letter to my guy's facility instead of working on homework! Seemed rational to me. Plus I had all day the next day to work on homework, right?!

I went to bed last night late at 2:00am knowing I had to get up for the DirecTV guy coming today between 12pm & 4pm. My man called me at frickin' 8:17am this morning! He forgot that today was a federal holiday and I didn't have to work. Opps! We talked...well, I think he talked and I mumbled things. I had my alarm set for 10am anyways. I was up and got ready. I was totally ready to dive into my tax reading this afternoon, but I've had a hard time "waking up" all day. This was only compounded by the fact that the DirecTV guy told me I have no hope of getting a signal where I have to maintain my dish according to my park's rules.

I attempted to call the "Courtesy Officer" supplied by my park "to immediately address an incident" which failed, because he didn't answer. I even tried to call the Management Emergency number provided, which failed on an even larger scale because the mailbox on that phone was full! What the hell is the point of giving us emergency numbers if no one is there to address my emergency?!? WTF people?! Customer Service at its best I presume!

So...he took the shit down!

I've spent the rest of the day staring at a blank TV realizing that even though I was not going to turn it on, because the plan was to do homework all frickin' day it is really bothering me to be so out of touch with the outside world! How the hell can people go without TV?!? I'm so not built for the 1800's!! I can't even make it 24 hours knowing I don't have the option of turning it on!! I've called around to look at other options, which has boiled down to one. Cable. Charter Cable. From what I've read, it sounds like my park has prepared me for Charter Cable's customer service treatment. Nice... But before I launch back into the cable world, which I have pretty much been out of since 2000, I will attempt to call my park's management tomorrow to see if I can get an exception to the rules granted. I'm sure we all know how likely that is, don't we?!

Around 3pm this afternoon I decided to take a little nap and set my alarm for 5pm. The munchkin and my aunt made it here before my alarm went off and upon learning that I'm sans television they opted to leave, so I went back to sleep until after 6pm. Now I sit here, in total silence, with what I assume is a headache due to my lack of caffeine today (I'm still working on guzzling down the rest of my 64ozs of daily water) and still 571 pages behind in reading for tax... Opps!

In my battle of the bulge news, I've been tracking my food intake on sparkpeople for 3 days now. I have my calorie intake set as low as the system will let me. It gives you a range of calories to consume for the day with a 350 calorie difference between the high number and the low number within the range. For now I thought it best if I work with the high number! Day #1, which was Saturday, I over consumed by 781 calories. Opps! Day #2, which was Sunday & the day we celebrated the 4th, I over consumed by 1,752. Double Opps! I like to blame my aunt's fatty-ass hot dogs she brought over that were just too frickin' tasty! Damn that woman! Day #3, today, I still have 83 calories before I hit my high number! Yay me!! I knew I would eventually turn it around. Hell, I'll just be happy this first week if I only go over my calorie intake by 500 calories a day! Yes, I've set my standards fairly low these days. Ha!!

But in an effort to end this wonderful, long, holiday weekend on a positive note...look at all the other stuff I've accomplished so far... Yay me!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Just getting started: 3, 4, 8, 9, 23, 24

Needs attention: 11, 13

Happy 4th of July 2010!!!

First and foremost I want to give a big shout out to all the troops, overseas and domestic~active and reserves and retired, who continue to make today possible! Freedom doesn't come free and we owe our freedom to all of you! We salute you today!! I specifically salute the troops in my life~~My Papa, My Man, My Dad, My Aunt, My 2 Uncles, My Cousin MAJs, My Cousin Ranger, My Captain, My Captain's Fiance~~THANK YOU & I SALUTE YOU TODAY!!!!

Today is a day to celebrate with family and friends! I wish to all of my friends a Happy 4th of July!! Enjoy yourselves today & remember to take a moment to cherish everyone you love even if they are not with you today!

For me, today I'm celebrating with parts of my family. Most importantly my munchkin, my two aunts & my uncle are all gathering at my lovely little abode for a cook-out this evening. We should have a blast. My bro & his brood were invited, but I doubt they will show. My parents were invited, but I doubt they will show either, but that is because they spent the last few days out of town and may not be home in time.

I think I have everything done and ready. I've showered, shaved, and weighed in. I refuse to wear makeup today~~why waste the $! I've got all of the plates, etc. out and waiting. I'm on my 3rd batch of ice cubes...just in case! I've got my left over chicken/bean/cheese dip unfreezing and warming up in the slow-cooker. The beans are in the other slow cooker. The macaroni salad has been mixed, the cheese is sliced and the onions are cut. The condiments are ready to go and the chips & dip are waiting to be munched on! The dishwasher is unloaded waiting to be unloaded again and the pan for the hot dog chili is waiting patiently next to the cans of chili! The fireworks have been purchased and are waiting to be lit!! I don't think there is anything more I have to do except maybe some reading before everyone arrives or a little nappy-pooh!

I refuse to dwell on this week's weigh in, but here it is (it really could have been so much worse with all of the eating out I've done this week and the lack of working out), Today's Stats:

Starting weight (7/8/09): 363lbs

Current weight: 322.6lbs

This week's results: +0.4lbs

Total weight lost: -40.4lbs

Consider it done: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22

Just getting started: 3, 4, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24

Needs attention: 8, 9, 11, 12, 13

Just Another Day In Paradise...

So I did not do this again today. I actually had trouble concentrating. I think part of it is the fact that I feel so darn overwhelmed at work. You know when you start feeling like you are having chest pains and panic attacks, because there is so much crap on your desk, in your email in-box, and your regular in-box that you aren't even sure where you are suppose to begin? Well combine that with being exhausted and it doesn't make for the picture perfect day at the office!

I had really wanted to work a little late tonight and maybe leave a little early tomorrow, but that failed. I was dead when the clock turned 4:30pm so I busted out of there as fast as my tired little legs would carry me. Being so tired I opted out of going to the gym tonight, which I suck at...I know! It may have been a good thing that I opted out of the gym, because when I got home no one else was here. About 10 minutes later someone knocked on my door. It was Chica, my babysitter for the summer. Through the door I said, "I don't have your money." We giggled, but we both knew she must be here for a different reason...

During our conversation Chica let me know how out of control my munchkin behaved today. They got into it to the point that as he left she went into her house and cried. Needless to say the had a little tiff. My munchkin is so angry for various reasons and we are working through them the best they can, but let me tell you 8 year olds cannot rationalize anything when they are pissed off and in the midst of a meltdown. After talking with Chica I called my aunt to see where they were and how my munchkin was doing.

After they got home, we decided to go out for dinner. I had the biggest, best, greasiest cheeseburger for dinner, along with some curly fries. Each bite I thought, "This is probably a 1,000 calorie bite, but it is so freakin' good!" After scarfing that down in addition to a side salad I opted for dessert...I was already pretty far in the hole, so why not enjoy it while I'm down in there?!? So after consuming a huge serving of Mexican Fried Ice Cream we left and went and bought Swimmy, a new fish to keep Bob, the original gold fish, company.

After getting home and getting ready for bed, the munchkin launched into another meltdown. He went on about how I don't trust my own son, because I told him not to hug me at that minute because I had medicine on my arms and I didn't want him to get it on him. He was yelling and crying and telling me how I suck as a mom, because I don't trust him and I torture him everyday... I tried to talk to him and he would then tell me he couldn't talk, so I would tell him to go and finish getting ready for bed and then he would start up again. It was a crazy rollercoaster. After he told me he just needed to lay down and I told him to go ahead he would start yelling that I was forcing him to lay down. I couldn't win for anything! Daym....

I swear some days are just another day in paradise here...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

Just getting started: 7, 22, 23

Needs attention: 8, 9, 10, 11

Who Needs Noodles?

I made a big batch of spaghetti sauce tonight and I was thinking...the only things I really like about spaghetti is the sauce and the garlic bread so why waste the calories on the noodles. So for dinner I had a bowl of spaghetti sauce and garlic bread! Yummy!! I, of course, ate more than I should have, but without the noodles I feel like I did better than I would have had I fixed it with the noodles!

This morning I overslept...again. I did the same thing yesterday too. I think there is something wrong with me! I woke up at 9:15am and my hair appointment was for 10am. Opps! I rushed around and did what I had to do and arrived about 3 mins late for my appointment. I had my highlights updated, did a little tax reading under the dryer and then left there to have my blood taken for my allergy test scheduled for Tuesday! After my blood work I did a couple errands and met up with the munchkin and my aunt for lunch @ Johnny Rockets! Yummy!!

I was able to keep a semblance of control at JR's. I only had a single with cheese and onion rings and a diet coke. I had planned on getting a chocolate malt to go, but then I decided to just finish the munchkin's child size shake instead, but after I sat it in front of me (I was on the phone with my man) my aunt reached right over to move it while I was paying the bill. I hung up and my aunt told me she didn't tell the waiter that I wanted a small malt to go. I told her it was probably for the best. She then said she wouldn't have finished the munchkin's shake if she had known that. Well...a little too late, huh? I wanted to say, "Why did you think I put it in front of me?!?" But I didn't. I just said that was probably for the best too. She then went on how she knows I really like JR's shakes. I told her not to worry about it.

After lunch I ran another errand and then came home instead of finishing my errands. I decided to lay down for an hour because I was feeling sort of out of it. I think that may be caused by the fact that I cannot take any allergy medicine in preparation of my allergy tests next week. My facial/waxing appointment was at 3:15pm so I set my alarm for 2:40pm. Well I overslept for this too! I hit snooze for 10 minutes and then at 2:50pm I reset the alarm for 2:55pm and again for 3pm and then again for 3:05pm. Um yeah...my salon is 20 minutes away from me! What the hell was I thinking?!? I just couldn't get myself out of that bed. I am seriously thinking there is something wrong with me!!!

I raced to my appointment and actually called to tell them I was running late, but was put on hold. When I walked into the salon, still on hold, I looked at my esthetician and said, "I'm sorry I'm late, but I'm on hold (showing her my phone ticking the seconds down) here right now to tell you I'm running late." We laughed and went back in the room. As she was doing my eyebrows my cell phone vibrated. It was the salon. So I answered it,

j'lynn: Hello?

Front Desk Girl: Hi j'lynn, this is FDG. Your appointment was at 3:15pm and your esthetician was worried and wanted to see if you were still coming.

j'lynn: FDG, I'm on esthetician's table right now getting waxed.

After the giggling, my esthetician got serious...she didn't give all of the details, but I surmised that her hubby caught her in an affair, which caused him to ram her car with his and has now lead into him being charged with two counts of felonious assault. I had suspected that his going to Canada for 6 months to work was actually them separating. The worst part is that he isn't a US citizen and this could cause him to get deported. They've been married 8 years and prior to this situation he has never even raised his voice to her and she thinks he just snapped that night. She feels partially bad, but is holding him responsible for his own actions that night too. I feel sorry for her and glad that no one got seriously hurt that night. Hopefully it works out for the best for everyone involved...

After I was finished with my pampering, I ran the rest of my errands and came home. With as much homework as I have you would think I would be busting that out. But outside of fixing my spaghetti and doing other small personal tasks and laundry I haven't gotten much done. I suspect that it is going to be an early night tonight so I can get up and bust some stuff out tomorrow! Well, early in my world...

Consider it done: 1, 2, 4, 5, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21

Just getting started: 3, 6, 7, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23

Needs attention: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Mother Nature Was Pissed Off On Hump Day!

Last night before I went to bed I sent an email to my laid-back Prof. from my seminar about changing the date when our rough draft was due for our S&L paper. When I got up this morning he moved the due date from this Friday to next Monday! I agree with him "laid-back Prof. is a nice guy!" Having accomplished that I was ready to face the day...and what a day it was...

At work I accomplished very little actual work. Apparently I've become a true slacker! But knowing all along that I would pull my crap together and get done what needs to be done by the end of this month I wasn't concerned at all, until later when my boss called to tell me that I may have to pick up my co-worker's slack and do double the amount of work I have to do by the end of the month...mine & hers! Um, yeah...so who is going to pick up my slack?! I guess that is going to be me too. So needless to say I will be busting my ass for the next week! Not even my own fault either...ugh!

Then early afternoon as I was getting ready to go and get my yummy salad for lunch I felt funny all of a sudden. I felt like the ground under me was moving. I wasn't sure if I was about to faint, if the office building was really moving or if my blood sugar had dropped too low and I was just feeling funny. Nope...it really was the ground moving. There was an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude and I had just experienced the tremors from it. In all of the previous news reports I always thought people acted a little too scared in earthquakes (not the big ones...I'm talking the little ones). Well, now that I felt little tiny tremors and almost went running out of my office and down 13 flights of stairs I will no longer judge others! That was some scary stuff.

Well, as my day was coming to a close at work I knew it was time to face my tax class, which I had avoided for 2 full weeks (thanks to my 2 skips last week and class being canceled this Monday due to the fireworks). There was anxiety for me. I hate returning to something that I've missed. There was also anxiety because I was completely caught up with my reading. I did a little prayer that I wouldn't get called on and then discovered I was about to be late for class so I ran off. During class I suffered for a full 3 hours and then decided I needed to approach Prof. Tax Guru with my assignment that was due 2 weeks ago this past Monday. After class I went up to Prof. Tax Guru and executed my plan of attack...

j'lynn: Prof. Tax Guru, here is my assignment that was due 2 weeks ago. I'm sorry it is late, but I was not in class last week due to a personal situation. I still wanted to turn it in even if I don't get credit for it.

Prof. Tax Guru: No, this is great. Thank you for turning it in. Don't worry that it is late.

j'lynn: Thanks!

fellow student #1: Is that the assignment that was due last week? I didn't know we were suppose to turn that in. Do you want mine?

fellow student #2: Are you talking about the questions you assigned? Can I turn mine in next week.

Looks like I started a trend! Ha!! I was glad class was over, I was glad that things went exactly as I hoped, I was glad that I wasn't called on. I was not glad that even though in the last week I went from being 490 pages behind in tax to 309 pages behind in tax I am now back to approximately 524 pages behind in tax. Are you kidding me?!? Ugh... I'm so never going to catch up! But in other tax news...Prof. Tax Guru is considering giving us a take-home exam. I'm totally down with that! :)

After class I drove home, charging my phone on the way (thanks for the reminder Daisy with your tweets!), because we were expecting some serious storms. When I parked in front of my house our weather sirens were going off. I walked into my house to find my munchkin freaking out, a tornado warning posted and my weather-alert radio going off! Within 10 minutes things started to pick up in the crazy department. I had the munchkin in my bed with my aunt trying to go to sleep when my bro called my aunt's cell (yes, I took the call for her. Ha!) to tell us that a tornado touched down about 30 miles from us and was headed straight for our town. Um, thanks bro! At that my phone started going off, the weather-alert radio started going off again, the outside sirens started up, the munchkin is crying, and I'm yelling at my aunt because I cannot find the GD remote! Bro is telling me what channels to put the TV on and telling me how he cannot get ahold of mom, so I'm using my cell to try and call her. I thought maybe a tornado would have been much calmer than all of this! We caught the weather report, got the candles and flashlight out. And then we started to wait...

The power went out once, the wind was crazy, the satellite was searching, the rain was pouring, the thunder was booming and the lightning was flashing. We survived it without any real damage that I could see. Reports of touch downs were confirmed. I'm definitely now ready for a crazy day tomorrow, but I'm really hoping that mother nature takes tomorrow off!

Consider it done: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Just getting started: 9, 10, 11, 24, 25

Needs attention: 15, 16